It was not until November 29th that the rescuers managed to retrieve Silva's body. In December 2004, a pair of 14-year-old British brothers both needed kidney transplants due to nephropathy; their 35-year-old mother was the only suitable donor but didn't know which son she should donate to. In 2005, two donors eventually donated their kidneys after death, allowing both brothers to survive.
When Horton arrived on the scene, he saw that the car was sinking quickly by the front, with only the rear still above water. At this point, Palmer who was sitting in the backseat and the family dog had already escaped successfully, but his wife Vanessa had just escaped from the car and was still struggling in the water. Almost unable to swim, only her head was above water as she shouted for help loudly, while their son Silva was nowhere to be seen and remained trapped inside the car. Vanessa was driving, carrying two people and a dog, chasing mischievous children when she lost control, falling into the river along with the car.
Horton dived in an attempt to save his unconscious son in the car, but failed. Horton decided to save his wife ashore; Palmer, the friend of his son, and the family dog had already climbed onto the shore themselves. Horton and his wife were heartbroken.
The death of their son left Mr. and Mrs. Horton grief-stricken, especially Vanessa. She wished that her husband had saved their son Silva instead of herself. Vanessa said Silva was a devout Christian who always talked about heaven with the family. She believes her son is now in heaven.
"Life-and-Death Decision" Cases
In December 2004, during the South Asian tsunami, an Australian mother and her 5-year-old and 1-year-old sons were swept away by huge waves in Thailand's Phuket Island. In the crisis, the mother could only hold her younger son to escape, so she let go of her older son, who was swept away by the floodwaters. Fortunately, the older son who had been "abandoned" by his mother survived.
According to the UK's Daily Mail on December 1st, a drowning car accident occurred recently in New Zealand. Mr. Horton had to make a painful choice between saving his wife and son, ultimately only managing to save his wife while his son unfortunately perished.
Without hesitation, Horton jumped into the river, desperately diving underwater to try and open the car door to rescue his son. However, as the car sank deeper, the hope grew increasingly slim. Time was so urgent that it was impossible for him to save both.
Wife and Son Fell Into the River
Save the Wife or the Son?
At the moment when Mrs. Horton found those children and was about to stop the car to confront them, the car slipped on the wet grass at the side of the road, losing control and rushing down a 10-meter-high riverbank slope, falling into the Wanganui River, which was about 4.5 meters deep.
Horton’s wife, Stacy Horton, aged 35, and Vanessa, also 35 years old, have one son and two daughters. On the evening of November 28th, a group of children broke the mailbox at Mr. Horton's house and ran away. His wife immediately drove off in pursuit, with their 13-year-old son Silva, his friend Palmer, and a family dog in the car. Soon after, Horton followed in another vehicle.
The wife wishes it was her son who was saved
After enduring intense internal conflict, Horton made the most painful decision a father could make — to save his wife Vanessa and abandon his son Silva. Recalling the incident with sorrow, Horton said: "If I ignored my wife's cries for help and continued trying to dive underwater to save my son, then my wife, my son, and myself might all have lost our lives. My two daughters would have lost three loved ones simultaneously."
Video: A man reveals the painful process of choosing to save his wife over his child in a drowning car accident. Source: Oriental Satellite TV 'Oriental News'. Play Video